Liverpool transfer news: It's official, ex-Man City sensation agrees Liverpool deal

An ex-Man City sensation has agreed a new deal with Liverpool, it's now official.

Signing a player from Manchester City is never going to be completely straightforward, but Liverpool are starting to make a habit of it.

Despite the rivalry between the two clubs, there has actually been quite a bit of movement between their academies in recent years. And Liverpool have been one of the main beneficiaries.

Over the past year or so, a number of young players have swapped City for Liverpool. Lucas Alford and Alfied Dooley joined earlier this season and have linked up with the U15s, while Lucas Clarke made the same move last year and is now playing for the U18s.

This is a concentrated effort in order to leverage Liverpool's position as a team that offers a genuine pathway for young players.

There is a feeling that Liverpool can offer young players a clearer route towards first-team football. City’s academy is obviously excellent, but the competition is ridiculous. There are elite players everywhere you look, while the first team is constantly adding established talent.

For a young player, breaking through can be a seriously difficult task.

Liverpool are in a slightly different position. The club has shown that academy players can get opportunities when they are good enough, whether that means making the bench, getting minutes in cup competitions or eventually becoming part of the senior squad.

That matters.

If young players believe Liverpool gives them a better chance of actually making it, there is no reason this flow of talent from City to Anfield cannot continue.

Especially with Andoni Iraola now in charge, there is another reason for young players to look at Liverpool as an attractive option. He has a strong reputation for trusting younger players, and there are already plenty of examples showing that the pathway at Anfield is a genuine one.

Rio Ngumoha is probably the best recent example. The teenager has gone from academy prospect to making his England debut, and that kind of journey is bound to catch the attention of other young players. It shows that Liverpool are willing to give talented youngsters a chance when they are ready.

And Ngumoha is hardly an exception.

Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones have both come through the academy and established themselves in the first-team setup, while Conor Bradley and Caoimhin Kelleher also managed to make the jump from youth football to senior football at Liverpool.

Then there is Trey Nyoni, who is now starting to make a real impression around the first team. Ifeanyi Ndukwe has caught the eye in pre-season as well.

For young players looking for a club where they can actually see a route to senior football, that is a pretty strong selling point. Liverpool can point to plenty of recent examples rather than simply making promises about opportunities.

And with Iraola seemingly willing to trust youth, that pathway could become even more attractive.

A great example of this is Lucas Clarke. Liverpool signed the youngster from Man City around 18 months ago. The young centre-back was only 16-years-old at the time but immediately he became a regular for the club's U18 side.

Last season, he even made his debut at U19 level in the UEFA Youth League and now Liverpool have confirmed that the youngster has signed a new deal with the club.

The ex-Man City sensation has agreed his first professional contract according to Liverpool's official website.

It's a big move for Clarke and yet more confirmation of the pathway Liverpool provide. He is far closer to the first team at Liverpool than he would have been at City.